Container structure



Filed Nov. 24, 1937 Patented June 6, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT omer y Cumberland Case Company, Chattanooga,

Tenn., a corporation of Tennessee Application November 24, 1937, Serial No. 176,324

2 Claims.

The present invention relates to a container structure, and, more particularly, to a structure for bracing and reinforcing boxes and other containers.

The invention is herein shown and describe applied to a milk bottle crate, but it will be understood that the invention is applicable to containers of various types.

An important object of the invention is to provide a reinforcing structure for the corners and edges of containers.

' In various types of boxes and other containers, including crates such as are used for holding milk bottles, the bottom and corner portions of the container are subjected to heavy wear due to the fact that the containers are frequently dropped vor moved against each other with some force. Crates of the milk bottle type, for example, ordinarily have their side walls formed of wood and it is therefore desirable that the edges and corners yof the wood frame be securely braced. By the present invention, bracing elements are applied to the corners and to at least the lower edges, and these bracing members are secured to or include a wear member so that the entire bracing structure is securely held together.

Another important object of the invention is to provide a wear member at the corner of a container which will serve to receive most of the wear to which the container is subjected.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following specification and from the drawing, wherein:

Figure 1 is a plan View of a milk bottle crate including the structure of the present invention, a portion of the View being in horizontal section.

Figure 2 is a transverse vertical sectional view on the line 2-2 of Figure 1, the View being on a slightly larger scale than Figure l.

Figure 3 is a vertical sectional View on the line 3-3 of Figure l, that is, through a corner of the crate.

Figure 4 is a horizontal sectional view on the line 4-4 of Figure 2, and

Figure 5 shows, in disassembled relation, elements included in the structure of the present invention.

The milk crate illustrated in the drawing includes the usual end walls I and II and side walls I2 and I3, the bottle spacing wires being designated by the numeral I4.

The lower edges of the walls of the crate are provided with metal runners I of U-shaped form, the lower edges of the Walls preferably being undercut as shown in Figure 2 so that the outer side surfacesof the runners will lie ush with the side surfaces of the walls. The corners of the crate are joined together and bracedl by inner and outer bracing members I6 and Il, respectively, these elements being angled so that, together, they embrace the adjoining ends of the walls a's best shown in section in Figure l. The inner bracing members I5 may be grooved as indicated at I8 to support the spacing wires I4 and the upper ends of these braces I 6 may extend above the upper edges of the walls to provide stacking irons I9.

As best shown in Figure 5, the lower walls of the runners I5 are upwardly and centrally recessed. By this arrangement, the side flanges of the runners I5 are prevented from spreading apart or opening out when the crate is dropped or otherwise receives blows upon its lower surface.

In the embodiment shown in the drawing, the outer corner bracing members I 'I are shown as having roundedV corners. However, it will be obvious that these corners could be squared. In any event, if rounded corners are used, the ends of the slats of the crate walls would be beveled to t the corner curvature of the outer corner braces.

In order that the metal bracing elements of the crate, that is, the runners I5 and corner braces IB and' I'I, may be securely held together and full protection against wear provided at the lower corners of the crate, I provide a wear element 2I at such lower corners. The wear element 2I is preferably in the form of an angled metal casting or solid metal body as best shown in Figures 4 and 5 and includes two arms 26 and 2l. Flanges 28 are provided at the lower edges of the inner and outer surfaces of the walls of the arms 26 and 2l so that extensions 29 of the side walls of the adjacent runners may overlie these flanges. Each wear element 2l is adapted to be positioned in a cut-out 30 provided at each lower corner of the crate so that these walls will be more firmly braced at this point. Also, each cut-out 30 is notched at its upper surface to receive bosses 3l formed on the upper surfaces of the arms of the wear member so that the wear member will be iirmly interlocked in the walls of the crate.

In assembling the bracing elements of the crate, the extensions 29 of the runners I5 are positioned to fit against the side surfaces of the wear member 2| and to have their lower edges rest upon the flanges Z. The lower ends of the corner bracing elements I6 and I1 are then applied with their lower ends against the extensions 29 as shown in Figure 4. The bosses 3| of the wear member are provided with apertures 32 with which apertures 33 in the corner bracing elements I6 and l1 are aligned. Rivets, bolts, or other securing means 33a may then be passed through the aligned apertures, such securing(` means also extending through slots 34 provided in the extensions 29 of the runners so that the entire bracing structure will be secured together and the various elements thereof secured against relative movement.

It is desirable that the runners I be provided with apertures of slot form so that any inequality in the length of the wooden slats of the walls may be accommodated. However, it will be apparent that when the entire bracing structure is secured together, the runners l5 will not have any movement with respect to the wear members 2| because the securing elements 33a. will clamp the bracing elements securely together.

As best indicated in Figure 4, the flanges 28 of each wear member are sufficiently wide to extend beneath both the extensions 29 of the runners and the lower ends of the corner braces IE and IT. In order that the outer surfaces of the outer corner braces l'l may lie flush with the walls of the crate and also with the outer walls of the runners, the extension 29 at the outer side of each runner is offset inwardly as shown in Figure 4.

It will be observed that the above arrangement provides at the lower corners of the container or crate a solid member capable of taking a maximum of wear such as would result from the slidwhich meet at the lower corners of the crate arey 1 subject to wear. Whenever these elements become so worn as to be useless, the entire crate must be discarded, because the expense of replacement would approximate the cost of a new crate. By the present arrangement, the wear members 2l completely protect the other bracing elements from wear. If the wear members become badly worn, they can be readily replaced, thereby prolonging the period of usefulness of the entire crate.

I claim:

l. The combination in a box-like structure of side and end walls each recessed at its lower corners to form angular cut-outs in the lower corners of the structure, channel-shaped runner elements embracing the lower edges of the walls, angled corner brace elements overlying the meeting portions of the inner and outer surfaces of the walls and terminating above the lower edges of the walls, an angled wear element positioned in each cut-out of the lower corner of the structure, said wear member being solid and of substantially the same height as said runner elements, and means to secure said elements together and extending horizontally through the elements at points above the lower edges of the elements.

2. The combination in a box-like structure of side and end walls each recessed at its lower corners to form angular cut-outs in the lower corners of the structure, channel-shaped runner elements embracing the lower edges of the walls, angled corner brace elements overlying the meeting portions of the inner and outer surfaces of the walls and terminating above the lower edges of the walls, an angled wear element positioned in each cut-out of the lower corner of the structure, said wear member being solid and of substantially the same height as said runner elements, and means to secure said elements together and extending horizontally through the elements at points above the lower edges of the elements,

. said wear element including lateral anges underlying the ends of the runner elements and corner brace elements. Y

' FRED Y. MCKENNEY. 

